[rokko]

I've been reading many of the threads here and now I know I'm not alone in this battle! I'm also quite impressed with many of the suggestions that have been posted.

2 months ago, we adopted a 2 year old Jack Russell Terrier. She's a sweet dog and gets along great with our kids. She also seems to be super calm; loves to lay on the bed and relax.

Housebreaking is a problem though, when we're not around. Here's the story:

She was a breeder's dog and had a kennel with a doggy door to a run, she was fed free choice as she could go out at any time.

We have been getting her on a schedule for feedings and bathroom. She now goes when we let her out (at first she just wanted to come in, then would need to go out shortly after..free choice there too). We make a big deal every time she does her business outside!

The first night, we crated her in the kitchen and she yipped and wailed. We caved on the second night and brought the crate upstairs (we like her up with us anyway).

The first time we left her alone for about 1 1/2 hours, she pooped in her crate (wire type) and kicked the mess out around the kitchen. We got home and had to wash her, the bedding, the crate and clean the kitchen. We tried a few more times, but gave up on the crate (our bad).

Next we tried penning of a small area for her... same results although she had a couple days with nothing, but many more with a mess. She actually steps in it and tracks it through the area.

We also tried giving her the whole kitchen; she still pooped, but usually didn't track it. The whole (or half) kitchen is not so good since we caught her on the table and counter... she could get hurt (knocked the coffee pot out of the coffee maker).

Today we went back to the crate while at work (6 hours at the most). We left out the bedding and she made a mess, pooping and then kicking it out.

We also were feeding her too much and now feed the right amount; once a day in the afternoon. She goes out an hour after eating (and goes) and a couple more times in the evening (number 1). We get her up early and she goes out and does both; we also try to have her go once more, but only #1 if anything. I can't see how she has any left in her. I've never heard of soiling the crate!

She's a great dog, if only she would hold it. I think we need to stick with the crate and give it more time.

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

Thank you,
Rokko

[meeegun]

since you only got her 2 months ago, i would say a lot of the problems you are having are likely due to the move. also, when a dog is feeling stressed, its more likely to need to use the bathroom. i know because i had a 6 month battle or so with my own dog when we moved. it is only now nearly 10 months later that i trust her enough to leave her out in my apartment when i am gone. she was not crate trained as a puppy (we are working on this currently). i moved into this apartment in january of this year. prior to that, she was living with my boyfriend in another city. so you can imagine the move was quite stressful. it was also the first time that she did not have ample access to a yard. at first, everything seemed ok. but then when i would leave for class i would come back and find accidents. i felt bad having to confine her, but after awhile there was no choice. she actually took to it well, but she had a few accidents behind the gate as well. the first couple of days she peed and once she even vomited. she was just so freaked out that i was gone. i would venture to say that your dog is experiencing a similar if not greater amount of stress. my suggestion is to first, take her out to potty more often. even if you don't think she could have more pee or poop, she must because she is going all over your kitchen. secondly, before you leave her confined give her an intense play session, running, fetch, or other games that will make her tired. then walk her for a potty break, then confine her. a dog that is tired is less likely to have accidents because they will be sleeping. also, a jack russel is a very energetic breed. you may need to look into giving your dog a "job." look into obedience training and other dog classes like agility to keep your dog mentally stimulated. mental stimulation is very important! get her a kong toy and fill it with treats and peanut butter. get one of those cubes that lets out treats as they toss it around. and lastly, you may need to speak with a professional about how to crate train your dog. she has likley been confined and forced to go to the bathroom inside her crate, given her previous situation. there are ways to train her to not go in the crate, but i would suggest talking to a professional who is knowledgable with rescue and shelter dogs. and lastly, you should never just shove your dog into a crate! i keep reading people giving out that sort of advice when it comes to crates, and that is simply the worst way to go about it! you really need to build a very positive association with the crate, and pushing your dog in there and letting them cry it out is not going to accomplish that. doing that will just increase the level of anxiety and lead to a dog who is having even more accidents. anyways, i definitely understand what you are going through because i have been there myself. it jsut takes a lot of time and consistency. keep her on a strict routine of feeds and walks. this will help her anxiety too. also, another thing i noticed about my dog was that she likes to mark and so she will need to pee at least twice on a walk before i consider her sufficiently pottied. your dog may have a similar need.

[rokko]

Thank you much for the reply Meeegun!

I think you're right about the stress; either that or she's trying to wear us down!

She is pretty comfortable in the crate; she'll go in it and lay down on her own, so we're not pushing her.

She is a JRT, but not so active (tricky and sneaky, maybe) but very calm when we're around. She loves to sprawl out in any position (froggy and belly-up are her faves). She doesn't play. I don't think she was taught to play as a pup...she was a business dog and not a family pet. We got her a bunch of squeekies, balls, tugs, and bones (inc a kong and a peanut butter filled that are in her crate when we go out). She looks at me like I'm nuts when I throw a ball...even more so when I go fetch!

I am going to take the advice of giving her more time outside in the morning. Maybe she'll go again or if not, at least she won't be sleeping for a couple hours before we leave (you're right.. she isn't tired when we leave).

I'm thinking about a floor grid for the crate... maybe it'll help keep her cleaner.


Maybe even some drugs... not for the dog, for us!

R

[meeegun]

i definitely think you should encourage her to play! its a great outlet for her nervous energy and its FUN for her. my dog also had to be encouraged to play fetch. and she is very picky about the textures of her toys. so what i do with her is i throw the ball and then i chase it. then she wants it because i have it. it sort of builds the value of the ball. also, anytime your dog sniffs or otherwise investigates a toy of any kind, give her a praise. if she plays with one, drop everything and play with her. you can even give her treats if she investigates or plays with a toy. try to initiate tug by taking the toy and getting her sort of hyped up, use a high -pitched voice and wiggle the tug toy away from her. most dogs LOVE a good game of tug. i bet it will just be a matter of time before she does too. do you take your dog for walks? even if you have a yard, a dog needs to get out and about and see thier world. its a mentally stimulating activity. remember, as i said before, mental stimulation is very important to help keep a dog calm. its also extra exercise for her and this will also help her keep from pottying (because she'll be even more sleepy when you leave). also, as i said before i really think that given her past experiences with the crate and being confined, she has probably learned that pottying in her crate is something she has to do. this is a very hard habit to break once she has learned it and my advice is to seek professional guidance to break the behavior. hopefully, after lots of walks and playtime with you and more time to adjust to her new life that problem will go away. but if it were me, i wouldn't wait around for it. the more time you let her practice a bad behavior, the harder it is going to be to break it.

[rokko]

Thank you meegun!

She's still not a "playa", but we keep trying. We do take her to the soccer field and she gets along well with other dogs and very well with kids. She''s sweet when she isn't pooping. Perhaps we should try a playdate with another dog and make a big deal when the other dog plays.. maybe it'll help her catch on.


She still fouls the crate and would have it on her feet or in her fur.. always a tough clean-up when we come home.

I did a few days with short crate sessions 1 hr, ok... 1/2 hr..poop.. I'm thinking it's not so much a stress thing; more a timing thing (it was mid day). She doesn't know she's supposed to hold it (having lived in a kennel with a run).

A couple nights, she snuck downstairs and went (same place on kitchen floor where we had penned her).

I took some advice about putting a tray in the crate - closet org shelving so the poop drops through onto the pan. It makes clean-up easier. This lets us stick with the crate approach without the pressure of tough clean-up and lost patience.